Sailor Profile: Alex Thomson

Sail, Survive, Succeed

Raymarine are pleased to announce their Official Supplier status to Alex Thomson Racing, the sailing team with one major aim, becoming the first non-French team to win the iconic round-the-world Vendée Globe race in 2020-2021.

British sailor Alex Thomson is one of the world’s most accomplished and well known solo offshore sailors. Thomson broke on to the professional sailing scene at a young age. In 1998/1999 he became the youngest skipper ever to win a round-the-world yacht race, setting a record that still stands today.

Having finished the 2012-13 and 2016-17 editions of the Vendée Globe in third and second place respectively, Thomson is targeting victory onboard his brand new HUGO BOSS race yacht in 2020-21.

Thomson holds the 60ft monohull singlehanded 24-hour distance record of 536.8 nautical miles. He also holds the British solo, unassisted round-the-world monohull record, which he set in 2017 when he finished the gruelling Vendée Globe race – ‘the Everest of sailing’ – in just 74 days, 19 hours, 35 minutes.

Onboard his new race yacht, Thomson will be taking advantage of the latest marine electronics available from Raymarine. Situational awareness onboard is key and with Raymarine’s latest Quantum Doppler installed on the yacht, he will have support in pinpointing hazards out on the water.

The team’s new IMOCA 60 will be one of the most technologically advanced yachts ever to embark on a Vendée Globe campaign. Behind the scenes onboard the boat will be a full Raymarine digital switching system, which is fully programable and will command the boat’s electrics and electronics.